Treating table



Nov. M, 1939. J. v. McMANlS 2,179,595

TREATING TABLE Filed Jan. 25,. 1937 IN V EN TOR,

A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNETEU STA'EES PATENT @FFHQE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to treating tables and more particularly to tablesfor use in manipulative treatments and diagnostic procedures, and is animprovement upon the treatment table forming the subject matter ofLetters Patent No. 1,371,502 dated March 15, 1921.

One object is the provision of simple and efficient means of thecharacter mentioned.

A further object is the provision of a table of the character mentionedhaving means for taking advantage of the recoil of a resilient tablesection to aid in diagnosing and treating varying degrees of impairedmotion in joints and other tissues.

Another object is the provision of a resilient table section inconjunction with relatively firm table sections.

A still further object is the provision of a resilient table section andmeans for alternately pressing a patient against the resilient tablesection and releasing this pressure.

My improvement is embodied in the .apparatus illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan View, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is anenlarged section taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a base ll or pedestal isprovided with an upstanding cylindrical portion in which is mounted apiston 5. The piston 5 is held from rotary and vertical movements inbase 4 by a set screw 6 having an adjusting handle 7. At the upper endof piston 5 is a head casting 6 cast integrally with or rigidly securedthereto. The head casting 8 has a bearing portion 9 in which isjournaled a vertical shaft it. On the upper end of shaft I is fixed ablock I! to which is pivotally mounted a frame I?! on a horizontal axisl3. Slidably mounted on the frame lll is an auxiliary table section M.An adjusting screw i is mounted in lugs on the underside of table M andthreaded in a projection it on frame l2. The arrangement is such that byturning screw l5 by means of a handle H the table it can be adjustedlongitudinally along frame l2.

On the lower end of shaft H] is fixed a block I9. A frame is pivotallymounted at one end to block IS! on a horizontal axis 2i. A connectinglink 22 has one end pivoted at 23 to frame l2 and its other end pivotedat M to frame 28. A block 25 is slidably mounted on frame 29 and a screw25 is threaded in block 25 and rotatably mounted in a block 2 so thatrotation of screw 26 by means of a handle 28 will move block 25longitudinally of frame 2!]. A tension spring 29 is connected to theaxis l3 and to block 25 to resiliently sustain the table section id andits frame mounting. By turning crank 28 block 25 will be moved toward oraway from axis 2! thereby effectively strengthening or weakening spring29 to sustain different weights on table It. A link 36 is pivoted at 3!to frame l2 at its upper end and provided with a slot 32 at its lowerend engaging a bolt 33 in frame 20. Bolt 33 is provided with a handlednut M for frictionally looking the lower end of link against frame 28 toprevent vertical swinging movement of table M on axis l3 when sodesired.

A frame 35 has one end fixed rigidly on the head casting 8. On the frame35 is an upstanding lug 36 to which is pivoted a main table section 31on a horizontal axis 38 to permit vertical swinging of table 31. A bar39 is pivoted as at M to the underside of table El and engaged between across pin 4| and a dog 42. The arrangement is such that Weight on table3'! will press bar 39 downwardly against the pin 4i and dog 42 to locksaid bar and hold table 31 at different inclinations.

An intermediate table 63 is mounted on a bracket 44 fixed on headcasting 8. On the underside of table 43 is a shaft 45 in bearings 86.The ends of shaft t5 extend beyond the lateral edges of table 43 andcarry rocker arms ll which are fixed on said shaft. One rocker arm 1 isprovided with a depending lever 48 which is connected by means of aconnecting link .9 to crank wheel 5!] on an electric motor 5!. Theelectric motor is preferably of the enclosed reducing gear type so thatthe rotation of wheel 56 will be fairly slow.

At each end portion of each rocker shaft 41 is a button 52. Two straps53 have their ends perforated and engaging said buttons 52 so that whena patient is lying on table 43 straps 53 will pass over the patient andhold him tightly on table 43. Rotation of the motor will cause rockerarms 41 to rock and alternately tighten the pressure of one strap 53 onthe patient and loosen the pressure of the other strap 53 on thepatient. The straps may be made adjustable by means of ordinary buckles(not shown) or in any other manner.

Table 43 is made up of a solid base it with a plurality of coil springs55 mounted thereon to easily yield under the weight of the patient. Onthe tops of springs 55 is a pad 56 of sponge rubber or other padding. Acovering 51 is secured to base 54 and envelopes springs 55 and pad 56.Perforations 58 may be provided in the base 54 to allow the free flow ofair into and out of the table section 43. The tables It and 3! are eachprovided with a solid base 59 similar to base 54. On the base of each ofthese sections is padding 60 which is relatively firm and of suchmaterial as sponge rubber, hair, felt or the like. Each padding 60 isenveloped in a protective covering GI similar to covering 51. Tables Mand 3'! are relatively firm and table 43 is quite resilient.

In practice, the springs 55 are of such size and number as will normallymaintain the cover 57 in distended condition while the table isunoccupied, so that the top surface of the intermediate section 43 isnormally projected above the horizontal plane of the other tablesections in such manner as to be free to partiallyyield under the weightof a patient who may be placed on the table. The springs 55 are soconstructed and arranged that while the patient occupies the table andthe top of the intermediate section is brought down to approximately thesame plane as the tops of the other sections, the top of theintermediate section will be capable of further yielding movements andrecoils therefrom in response to the application and removal of pressureapplied to that portion of the body of the patient which is directlyover said intermediate table, patient is placed on the table with thehead usually on section 31 but the head may be positioned on the sectionHi When desired. While the table is unoccupied the resilientintermediate section d3 extends higher than the normal horizontal planeof sections Hi and 3'! so that the portion of the patient over thesection 43 is resiliently sustained. The patient may be positioned onthe table with the head at different distances from section it toposition different portions of the patients body over said section 43 asdesired.

The pivotal mounting of the auxiliary table section It is such that saidsection may be swung laterally in either direction and also verticallyin either direction, the combination of which movements producescircumduction. Said table section M is also sustained during itscircumduction swinging movements by the spring 29, the tension of whichis adjustable. It will be noted that the yielding character of the topof the intermediate section 43 and its location above the plane of theother sections possesses a decided advantage when the patient reclinesupon the table because then the top surface of the intermediate sectionis in approximately the same horizontal plane as that of the othersections and this prevents any undue distortion of the body of thepatient.

Should the patient recline face down with, say, the part of themid-dorsal, lower dorsal or lumbar spine on the resilient intermediatesection, the yielding resilience of the top of the latter feelsremarkably comfortable to the patient and thus enables him to relax hisbody to a high degree. Obviously, the complete relaxation of thepatients body is a very important result to secure and makes it mucheasier to diagnose the state of being in the spine. The finerrestrictions, adhesions and limitations in spinal suppleness and motionare much more readily diagnosed. Relaxation of the patients body alsoenables the operator to give a much better treatment, said treatment isless diiiicult to give and does not require as much force as mightotherwise be required.

Should the patient lie face down on the table as above suggested, withhis chest on the main table top section 3'! and his lower back andpelvis on the swinging section it, then, as the auxiliary table top islowered the patients body, due to the friction of the chest on the maintable top section tends to remain there. Therefore, as the swinging leafi l moves downwardly it produces an appreciable stretching effect uponthe spine. This is especially true if the patient is asked to hold tothe distal end of the main table top section. Hence, it will be seenthat without any additional mechanical apparatus whatever, a splendidstretching effect upon the body, or rather the spine may be obtained.Therefore, as the leaf l4 descends, the spinal tissues are stretched andas it returns to its level position a production of relaxation is againobtained by reason of the resiliency of the top of the intermediatetable section. Hence, alternate stretching and relaxation are produced.This effect is good to literally milk the stale blood and fiuids out ofthe body tissues in that area and to encourage the inflow of freshnutrative material.

Again assuming the patient to be occupying the table face down, theoperator, without moving the swinging leaf M at all may, by placing hishand upon the patients back, which is directly over th resilientintermediate table section, and by pressing down and then releasing thepressure produce a springing effect in the spinal tissue in that area.In this movement the recoil of the resilient mechanism which isincorporated in the upholstering of the intermediate section plays avery important part, and in fact this recoil effect could not beobtained in the absence of the resilient means to restore the body toits original position after displacement by the hand pressure abovereferred to. As has already been stated, the circumduction movements ofthe type produced by the swinging leaf l4 accomplish alternatingstretching and relaxation effects. If at the time these stretching andrelaxation effects are occurring there is alternate pressure downwardupon the spine by the operators free hand, producing downward pressureand relaxing effects, a more comprehensive and complex movement iseffected upon the spine. It is to be noted that the pressure made uponthe spine by the operators free hand is made during the movement of theswinging leaf M, thereby bringing about alternating stretching andrelaxing eifects in the spine as well. Hence, it will be seen that avery comprehensive and complex system of movements occur with a widerange of effects upon the tissues being stretched, and this treatment isof such a character as to permit a complete approach to the involvedrestricted tissues and prevents, or at least helps to prevent theoverlooking of something that may be deeply hidden in the tissues.

I claim:

1. In a table of the character described, the combination of a pedestal,a main top section supported by pedestal, and an auxiliary top sectionalso suppo' ed by said pedestal, of an intermediate section comprising abase also supportei by said pedestal, a di tensible cover having itsedges attached to said base, a pad positioned within the cover oppositeto said base, and resilient means located within said cover andinterposed between the base and the pad, and reacting against both ofthem in. such manner as to maintain said cover in normally distendedcondition, the resilience of said distending means being such that saidpad and the adjacent portion of the cover will partially yield under theweight of a patient occupying the table, and yet be capable of furtheryielding movements in the same direction, and recoils therefrom, inresponse to the application and removal of extraneous pressure upon thebody of the patient.

2. A table of the character described comprising a base, a main topsection supported by said base, an auxiliary top section supported bysaid base, an intermediate section supported by the base and interposedbetween the first mentioned sections, said intermediate section having adistensible top portion, and resilient means for yieldingly maintainingsaid distensible top portion in normally distended condition, theresilience of said distending means being such that it will partiallyyield under the weight of a patient occupying the table and yet becapable of additional yielding movements and recoils therefrom inresponse to the application and removal of pressure applied to the bodyof said patient, straps connected with said intermediate portion in suchmanner as to pass around the body of the patient, and means forintermittently applying tension to said straps in such manner as toeffect alternating, yielding and recoiling movements to said distendingmeans.

3. A table of the character described comprising a base, a main topsection supported by said base, an auxiliary topsection also supportedby said base and spaced from the main top section, an intermediatesection also supported by the base and interposed between the firstmentioned sections, said intermediate section having a top portionhaving incorporated within its upholstering a highly resilientcompressible means, a rock shaft extended laterally across saidintermediate section beneath said top portion, rocker arms on said rockshaft, straps connected with said rocker arms and adapted to pass overthe body of a patient, and means for oscillating said shaft in suchmanner as to intermittently apply tension to said straps in such manneras to effect alternate compressive and recoil movements to said topportion.

JOHN V. MCMANIS.

